Events

Energy Indaba sets Africa's agenda

The issues that are put on the agenda of Africa’s premier energy event will direct and guide Africa’s energy horizon in the decades to come. With their powerful agenda-shaping capabilities, Africa Energy Indaba’s steering committee and stakeholders set the programme and decide on the most pivotal topics to be ironed out and debated at the “Africa Energy Indaba week”.

“It is our key partnerships that set us apart from other energy events,” says Africa Energy Indaba managing director, Liz Hart. “With strategic partnerships with the World Energy Council, the NEPAD Planning & Coordinating Agency (NPCA) and the South African National Energy Association (SANEA), we have the highest level of endorsement of any energy event on the continent. This means our agenda and programme are set by the most powerful and strategic energy players on the continent,” says Hart.

“Through SANEA, the World Energy Council and NEPAD we have access to energy thought leaders from more than 90 countries through the Energy Issues Monitor and other studies”, says Africa Energy Indaba Chairman, Brian Statham. “Using this foundation we can ensure that the programme for Africa Energy Indaba is aligned with the priorities of energy leaders and plentiful opportunities for robust dialogue on these matters help shape the future direction for Africa’s energy sector.”

The theme for the 2016 Africa Energy Indaba is “Energy – the key driver for Africa’s economic growth” and every aspect of the 2016 programme has been designed to support the growth and development of Africa’s various energy sectors. For almost a decade, the annual Africa Energy Indaba has served as the connection point for investments into Africa's energy sectors catering to opportunities from small renewable energy projects to billion dollar utility tenders.

Here are the key energy issues and topics to be debated at the side events, sessions and workshops taking place at the 2016 Africa Energy Indaba:

· Regional integration & regional policy decisions

Twelve African energy ministers will take part in the Energy Ministerial Roundtable, hosted by the World Energy Council in association with the Africa Energy Indaba. The Ministerial Dialogue gathers African energy leaders and stakeholders to exchange views on critical issues facing the energy industry in informal, off-the-record discussions. In the current context of uncertainty, the dialogue between energy policy makers is needed more than ever and the Africa Ministerial Roundtable will provide ministers from the region and beyond, a unique platform to share their best practices and knowledge. Key issues that will be addressed include regional integration, scenarios outlook for the region, as well as the relevant policy implications.

· African energy issues in the global context

The Indaba Energy Leaders’ Dialogue session is for CEOs, senior executives and government officials, which is by invitation only, to exchange views on critical issues facing the energy industry, in informal, off the record discussions. This high-level dialogue provides an intimate forum in which participants can discuss topics such as how to best address the “energy trilemma” during focused sessions on key issues impacting the African energy sector. There are two CEO sessions planned for the 2016 Indaba, which are co-hosted by the World Energy Council and some energy luminaries from Africa and the world.

· The current growth opportunity for IPPs in Africa

The IPP market in Africa is burgeoning. 2016 promises to be another very active year for independent power producers throughout the sub-Saharan Africa region and across various technologies. International investor focus on IPPs has translated into increasing demand for energy amongst the region’s growing economies. The one-day IPP/PPA conference takes place alongside the annual Africa Energy Indaba conference in Johannesburg as an official side event of the Africa Energy Indaba and will assist IPPs and energy businesses in drawing up sound and bankable projects and PPAs.

· The development & exploration of Africa’s gas sector

Africa’s oil & gas sector promises to be a hot topic for investors in 2016 and the sectors are predicted to grow significantly over the next two decades. Africa is endowed with natural resources that are changing the global energy landscape with six of the top 10 global discoveries in the oil and gas sector in 2013 being made in Africa. The inaugural Africa Gas Forum is an official side event of the Africa Energy Indaba. With a focus to developing the African Gas sector and exploring opportunities for companies to participate, the event provides access to key stakeholders and knowledge experts.

· Nuclear as a solution to Africa’s energy crisis

There is a heated debate in the public discourse about nuclear proliferation and the South African government’s announcement that it will proceed with a nuclear build programme. The question about whether nuclear power is the right solution for South Africa and the in-and-outs of a nuclear build programme will be debated at length during the Nuclear Forum session which forms part of the main Africa Energy Indaba conference.

· The development of women professionals in Africa’s energy sector

Women’s leadership is a global business issue and is gaining in prominence in Africa. It needs to be addressed systemically and include the involvement of both women and men at all levels of leadership. The 2nd annual Women in Energy Conference, aligned to the Africa Energy Indaba, focuses on how various departments within companies can work together to advance their corporation’s talent agenda and competitive advantage by attracting, hiring, developing, retaining, sponsoring and promoting women in every industry sector.

· World Bank IEG Report Launch

A large group of countries, many of them World Bank Group (WBG) clients, depend on revenues from extraction of non-renewable natural resources. Therefore, the effective management and targeted use of natural wealth becomes a critical issue in addressing their developmental needs. These issues also closely relate to the Bank Group’s twin goals of eradicating poverty and boosting shared prosperity. The Independent Evaluation Group of the World Bank Group invites delegates to join a conversation around experiences of and lessons from country program evaluations of WBG engagement in four countries that are endowed with abundant natural resources and also heavily depend on revenues from their extraction: Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Zambia.

· The future of South Africa’s electricity supply sector

In the future South Africa’s electricity supply sector will have greater variety of generation technologies, more Independent Power Producers, more embedded generation in the distribution sector and more co-generation and self-generation from large and small consumers. This evolution will require new approaches to development, operation and maintenance of transmission and distribution networks, metering, tariffs and licencing. A new range of skill-sets will be required by suppliers, consumers and government organisations to take full advantage of these innovations. This SANEA Action for Energy Dialogue will use an interactive and stimulating process of discussion between delegates and experts to explore questions such as “What will become the future sources and ownership of generation?”

· The ESCO model as a solution to SA’s energy constraints

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group will bring local and world-leading energy efficiency experts together for the IFC ESCO Conference to speak on the opportunities of promoting energy efficiency through the Energy Services Companies financing model. The conference aims to increase local awareness of the ESCO model as one possible solution to current and future capacity constraints in the South African energy market.

Africa Energy Indaba has focused on developing content and co-ordinating the presentation of the programme so it can be strategically navigated by each delegate, according to their specific field of interest. The more interactive panel discussions during breakaway sessions as well as enhanced networking opportunities and cocktail events are designed to support our clients and the current challenges that they face. For the full agenda, and the week-at-a-glance please visit www.africaenergyindaba.com

More about the Africa Energy Indaba

The Africa Energy Indaba is the World Energy Council (WEC) African regional event and as such the event receives global recognition as the foremost event for energy professionals operating in Africa, wanting access to the growing African energy sector.

The 8th annual Africa Energy Indaba will be held on the 16 - 17 February 2016 in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. Host to 12 African Energy Ministers and many energy luminaries, the event is set to provide access to key energy decision makers in Africa. The event comprises a number of conferences and an exhibition to showcase energy products and services to meet Africa's energy demands.

The African energy sector requires USD 40 billion worth of investment annually with a production capacity requirement of 7,000 megawatts per year to meet the demand required to ensure energy access to all Africans. This presents a major opportunity for companies to explore business opportunities in the African energy sector.